Charles Wesley (1757–1834)

Variations on God Save the King

Charles Wesley, born some 250 years ago, is the son of the hymn writer, Charles
Wesley. A pupil of William Boyce (1710-1779), he composed
several voluntaries and six concertos for organ and strings.
This set of variations on the English national anthem was published around
1795. Americans
are familiar with the tune, America, set to “My country, ‘tis
of Thee,” written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1832.